Need an SEO copywriter?

Why SEO copywriting has its own unique starting point

Copywriting for SEO is far removed from writing an article for a magazine, say – which I still get asked to do in my capacity as a seasoned freelance writer.

 

When you're writing with SEO purposes in mind, the intent behind the writing is completely different.

Ask me to create a 2,000 word article on the world of luxury fragrances for a glossy magazine, and I'm Ernest Hemingway with a picture to paint. The thesaurus is my friend.

 

My goal is to create an enticing piece of 'art' that will be as entertaining as possible.

When I am asked to write an SEO-rich blog post for a client, however, I begin with a very different goal in mind.

 

I start by asking, 'What is the keyword that the client is trying to rank for with this post?'

It's a little different to your brand's keywords. Here's how:

Your brand's main keywords are in total sync with your business – they are forever entwined with the very fabric of what you do. There's a good chance they'll be all over your homepage.
 
You sell off-the-peg kitchen cabinets online? Then 'off the peg kitchen cabinets', 'kitchen cabinets', 'ready made kitchen cabinets' and 'kitchen units online' will all be important keywords for you.

When you're writing blog posts, however, you're more likely to want to rank for something slightly different.

That's because blogs are a way to build up a body of helpful, relevant work – they're not really there to compete with your main pages. So your focus keyphrase might be, 'wooden kitchen doors Vs PVC' or 'how to hang a kitchen door'.

 

SEO content writers understand this.

Your main web page(s) are often where you want to direct most visitors. The SEO optimized content on your blog pages, however, is designed to keep bringing in newcomers who have found you for something else. 

 

Basically, they found you because they were looking for something not covered on your home page or your SEO-optimised product/service pages.
 

Blog writing comes under the banner of SEO copywriting. If you hire me as your SEO content writer, I'll approach your blogs with the respect and care they deserve. High-quality SEO content takes time – but the rewards can be worth it.

Why great copy plays a part in search engine optimization

 

Google's goal for its SERPs (search engine results pages) is to provide internet users with exactly what they are looking for.

 

If you have a good SEO strategy and a good SEO web copywriter, you should be able to write the kind of pages that your target audience is seeking. Do this well, and Google should reward you by nudging up your SERP rankings.

Quite simply, if you're able to create the very best web content in Google's eyes, then all other things being equal (domain authority, site loading times etc.), you should rank well – and scoop up lots of organic traffic.

It's never that simple, of course.

There are a number of SEO content writing tools I use which enable me to understand what Google is looking for in order to boost your website's rankings potential.

 

These tools take time and effort to master – which is why some copywriters never get round to using them.
 
But the difference this tech can make is often significant.

Good SEO copy, therefore, needs to be written with an appreciation of what Google wants, what a customer hopes to read (ensuring keywords sound natural) – and, ideally, enough writing 'pizzazz' to make it all persuasive and/or entertaining.

 

My aim as an SEO website copywriter is to deliver on all three fronts.
 

Understanding the SEO content writing process

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​As mentioned, when writing a blog – or any web page where SEO is a priority, such as how to guides and product pages  – you begin with intent.

 

What is the intent of this page? What keywords is it trying to rank for?

 

You need to match the page to the user's intent, too. If the intent of your page is to inform people about the best men's trail shoes, you want to optimise the page to match the searcher's intent. Which means the obvious headline would be 'Best men's trail shoes' instead of something more abstract, such as: 'When leather meets tarmac – choosing your shoes for the ultimate run'.

Pages are typically written with user intent first. That's because it's hard to drum up interest in a page no one is likely to be searching for. No point in doing a page about 'how to run downhill safely in second hand shoes' if it has zero searches.

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My freelance SEO copywriting services take care of keyword research (including long tail keywords), the title tag for the article, your meta description, internal linking opportunities and more. Despite Google's increasingly frosty relationship with 'crafty' ways to cover lots of keywords, for the time being at least there are still ways that an inventive copywriter can cover multiple bases. 
 

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Good SEO writing = no keyword stuffing required

 

I don't do link building – that's the domain of your technical SEO person or your own outreach work. And I don't do keyword stuffing.

The real skill I bring to the party when wearing my SEO copywriter hat is to combine many years of creating high quality content with the technical demands of SEO writing.

You want content that people will read – and which will give your next blog post, your homepage or any other key page the critical shot of SEO magic it needs.

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Among the other things Google rewards are expertise, experience, authority and trust (also known as E-E-A-T). These elements should be woven into your copy. I work with clients to help them display their E-E-A-T credentials in the best possible light.

 

Will good SEO mean your page will rank?

 

That's the $64,000 question. Put it this way: if you don't apply SEO copywriting best practices to your page, it almost certainly won't rank well – unless you're in an incredibly niche market with virtually no competition.
 
By which, I mean the search volume for your target keyword is very low.

What I can do as your freelance UK SEO copywriter is give your web content and content marketing material a chance to rise up through the search results pages.
 
There are too many variables for SEO success to be pinned on copywriting alone. But by having a solid content strategy and getting your SEO copywriting right, you boost your chances.

Note, however, that achieving a great organic ranking for some keywords/search terms is all but impossible for new or smaller businesses – because the competition is just too great. Search engine optimisation will only get you so far.
 
Sometimes, though, a skilled SEO copywriter can help you outshine all your competitors with a targeted post that Google can't fail to rank. 

How SEO copywriting gives search engines what they want

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There are plenty of SEO copywriting strategies I've picked up over the years, and for the right client with clear ambitions and the right budget, I can really go to town on optimizing content for search engines.

It's a process – and it's all about giving Google what it wants.

 

It's about creating high-quality, easily readable content with the right keyword density, good title tags, an appropriate number of paragraphs, strong subheads and headlines.
 
Once you've got a good freelance SEO copywriter onside, you won't get copy-by-numbers – or something that was only written for Google search results.

 

You get great content that has been carefully crafted to tick multiple boxes.

 

And your website traffic (via organic search) should steadily start to improve.

 

It's hard for anyone to guarantee more organic traffic through on-page SEO alone, especially if you're a tiny novice in a crowded sector.

 

But I'll work with you to help you generate valuable content that improves your chances considerably.

Why not get in touch to discuss how my SEO copywriting service can help your business? And if you'd like to know more about SEO, check out Neil Patel's thoughts on SEO copywriting.